May 17/12 9:06 am - Mitch Bailey Returns to Competition

Posted by Editoress on 05/17/12

Mitchell Bailey’s second-place finish at the recent Woodnewton Ontario Cup mountain bike race is an indication that he is back to good health after suffering from breathing problems earlier in the year.

Mitch Bailey at 2011 MTB Nationals in Canmore AB

In April, the 20-year old McGill University physiology student took part in the Pan American Mountain Bike Continental Championships in Puebla, Mexico, a city located 2200 metres above sea level.

“I went down to Mexico for Pan Ams but I had a really bad race there,” admits Bailey. “I was trying to get ready with some breathing stuff but I messed up my lungs a little bit. They’ve slowly gotten back to normal and I’m in pretty good health now.”

In an effort to prepare for the competition, Bailey employed a respiratory trainer, the use of which is said to strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system. To prevent contamination of the device, a diligent cleaning protocol is recommended. “I was doing some breathing exercises trying to get ready for altitude and I guess I didn’t use the proper hygiene so I got a little bit of an infection in my upper respiratory tract. It’s gone now and I’m happy.”

Currently sponsored by Trek Canada, Bailey has been a force on the cross-country mountain bike scene since winning consecutive national championships in the U17 category in 2007 and 2008. He followed that up with back-to-back Canada Cup overall series wins in the U19 bracket, and claimed the silver medal at the 2011 national championships in the U23 group.

His schedule for 2012 includes the Canada Cup series, most of the Ontario Cup races, and a trip to France for the World Cup in Val d’Isere.